Hiked up here with my dad, my brother and some friends from high school. Gotta hand it to the ADK Club for the spectacular trail maintenance on what was obviously once a very eroded trail; the summit offers wonderful views of the lake region.

I started this hike in the afternoon to avoid the early crowds. I watched the sunset from the summit and then spent the night just below treeline. There are a couple good spots to set up a tent just east of the summit.

I climbed Ampersand Mountain in September 2004 with my wife and 3 year old son. This is a very nice hike and we had terrific weather. The first half of the hike was easy with streams along the way that kids love playing in. Further on, the trail started getting steeper and I found myself grabbing small trees and roots to help pull myself up the steep parts while my son rode on my shoulders. The steeper section was a heard path rather than trail, but the trail starts again further up, easy enough to follow. My wife was pregnant, so she stopped about 1/2 way along the trail. There was a small bit of rock climbing at the top to reach the summit, which is a huge boulder. The views are outstanding from the rocky summit. You're sure to enjoy this hike if you visit the Adirondack Mountains about 30 minutes west of Lake Placid, NY.
UPDATE: I hike Ampersand Mt several times a year now to stay in shape. Last hiked on 16 April 2015. First half of the hike was clear and a little muddy, second half of the hike was still thick packed snow and ice on the trail. Nice spring day, perfect weather.

The best hike of the year so far.. hiked it alone in about 2 hours.. there was no snow at the trailhead but when you get towards the top, cramons were much needed.. good hike and the forest is unique in itself..

Ampersand was a great climb. We camped on Middle Saranac Lake over 4th of July weekend in 2001 and decided to climb Ampersand. While it might not be one of the 46, just because it doesn't reach 4000 feet doesn't mean it lacks a great view. The view might be even better since there aren't many other peaks around it.

One thing that did surprise me was the graffitti at the top. When did FAMILIES start writing their names in big letters all over the place?

We ran into one women on the hike who said that she does the hike every year because it was her grandfather's favorite place. When he died the whole family climbed up and released his ashes from the summit.